By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net
Patna: “There are five pillars of Islam and zakat is one of them. Today we are not paying zakat honestly that’s why poverty, illiteracy, ignorance are still persisting in our Muslim society. If we pay zakat as per the norms of Islam then all these problems will be solved,” said Maulana Abdus Sami Jafri, Amir Jamat-e-Ahle Hadis Hind Sadiquepur, Patna in Zakat Bedari Conference organised by Bihar Rabita Committee under BRC Zakat Fund in Anjuman Islamia Hall Patna on Sunday.
He added that thousands of our daughters are unmarried due to dowry.
Today we beg to the Government to give aid for fencing the graveyard. If we pay zakat as mentioned in Islam then all problems will be solved and we the Muslims of our country will flourish and blossom. Poverty will vanish from the Muslim community.
He stated that Allah sent Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) as a blessing for the world. He taught us every component of Islam and emphasized on zakat.
The conference was started with recitation of the Holy Quran by Maulana Sajjad Nadvi. Mr Najeebul Haque presented a melodious Naat.
Mr Fazal Rab, President of Bihar Rabita Committee welcomed the guests and threw light on the objectives of this conference.
“This conference is organized to develop a mechanism for distribution of zakat. How people can use this amount of zakat for their constructive works,” he said in welcome speech.
According to Islam, zakat is the right of poor in the wealth of their rich brothers, said Fazal Rab; adding “zakat is one of the components of Islamic Economic System.” He further stated that we will analyze the work done with annual distribution of zakat. Zakat is not a financial help for consumption. It is for permanent removal of poverty from the Muslim community. The main aim of this conference is to develop such a system which can end the dependence of people on zakat, he said.
“It is our soul responsibility to fulfill the exact purpose of zakat. You all are aware with the exploitation of poor. Islam never encourages poverty and therefore it has provision of zakat. It sets an economical balance in the society. If we follow and implement the economic system suggested by Islam then all the problems like poverty, illiteracy and exploitation will be solved,” said Mr Fazal Rab.
Maulana Ateequllah Quasmi of Imarat-e-Shariah said that whole life of Muslims depends on two basic things – one is spiritual and other is economical. Spiritual structure is namaz whereas economical structure is zakat. “In the Holy Quran, there are 82 places where namaz is mentioned along with obligations for paying zakat,” informed Maulana Quasmi.
There is proper structure of zakat these days. If we rectify it and start to pay zakat according to Quran and Hadith then the whole Muslim community will flourish, said Maulana Ateequallah Quasmi.
“There is also a great responsibility on the organizations which collect zakat and distribute it among needy. The Khalifas never used the light of the candle ignited with the amount of zakat,” he said.
Head Mufti of Imarat-e-Shariah, Maulana Junaid told that those people who deny zakat are considered out of Islam.
“As we fast in Ramadan, perform namaz five times a day and do Haj, like these pillars of Islam, zakat is also necessary to pay to a particular organisation not individually, said Mufti Junaid.
He classified zakat into two parts- one is “zakat-e-nafil” and second one is “zakat-e-wajib”. If people pay zakat individually to a particular person then their donation will be considered as nafil zakat not as wajib, informed Maulana Junaid. He further said that we have to pay zakat only to an organization for zakat-e-wajib. Zakat is an obligation to pay 2.5% or 40th part of his wealth on every “Saheb-e-Nesab, and a “Saheb-e-Nesab” is a person who has at least 7.5 tola Gold or 52.5 tola Silver or wealth equivalent to any one of them or a combination of them. (Tola is a unit of mass of Gold/Silver, 1 tola equivalent to 11.66 gm or 3.75 oz)
Mr Arshad Ajmal, Chairman of Al-Khair Charitable Trust stated the amount collected by the Government of India for poverty elimination in five years is the same as zakat collected in one year.
Charity can never abolish poverty it can only be eliminated by a well managed economic system and that is what Islam suggests, he added.
Maulana Shoaib Koti, President of Kul Hind Tahreek and also president of the conference said that 10-15 thousands of crore rupees are collected in India every year.
Asking where this amount of money goes he emaphasised on the need to be sincere on this issue.